Tag Archives: ricotta

Ina Garten uses the genius idea of roasting all of the vegetables in this lasagna filling, as well as using no-boil lasagna noodles, to remove the excess liquid that often makes a vegetable lasagna too watery. Perfect comfort food.

This recipe was adapted from Make It Ahead: a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten, via The Kitchn, contributed by Emma Christensen. I used a mandoline to slice the eggplant and zucchini. I also increased the garlic and goat cheese, modified the technique, and used the noodles without pre-soaking them.

It was very cheesy and indulgent so we gobbled it up with a giant green salad. 😉

Sprinkle the garlic evenly over the vegetables, and roast for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through.

Remove all 3 trays from the oven and lower the temperature to 350°F, preferably on convection.

Combine the ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, basil, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed.

Spread 1 cup of the marinara in a 9×13×2-inch baking dish.

Arrange a third of the vegetables on top, then a layer of the noodles (6 noodles per layer), a third of the mozzarella (9 1/2 pieces per layer), and a third of the ricotta mixture in large dollops between the mozzarella.

Repeat twice, starting with the marinara.

Spread the last 1 1/2 cups of marinara on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

Place the dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, until the lasagna is browned and bubbly.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Make-Ahead: Assemble the lasagna completely and refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost (if necessary) and bake before dinner.

This recipe is absolute GENIUS. It was a genius idea for me to make it on Super Bowl Sunday too. I am usually cooking while my family is watching the game- and commercials- in another room. This year, the meal was cooked and ready to go; it was kept warm in the pressure cooker with the lid in place while I was sitting on the sofa with everyone. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I increased the garlic and used ground turkey and whole wheat spaghetti. I also made it in my stove top pressure cooker instead of an Instant Pot. We enjoyed it with garlic bread and Caesar salad. Great.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

For the Sauce:

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2-4garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes

¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1teaspoon kosher salt

2basil sprigs, plus more thinly sliced for serving

8ounces whole wheat spaghetti (not thin spaghetti), broken in half

2tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1cup ricotta (optional)

For the Meatballs:

1pound ground turkey (or substitute veal, pork or beef)

¼cup panko bread crumbs

¼cup grated Parmesan

2tablespoons chopped basil

1large egg

1teaspoon kosher salt

1 to 2garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a stove top pressure cooker or Instant Pot on sauté. Stir in garlic, red pepper and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together ground meat, bread crumbs, Parmesan, chopped basil, egg, salt and garlic. Roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. (I used a large cookie scoop and placed them on a large plate, shaping them into balls when I placed them into the pot.)

Pour 1 cup water into sauce in pot, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pot.

Scatter uncooked spaghetti over the sauce.

Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over spaghetti, stirring gently (try to keep the spaghetti on top of the sauce), then top with meatballs.

Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure, then remove the cover and stir to separate the spaghetti.

Stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

At this point, the pasta will be almost but not quite cooked through. Place the top back on the pressure cooker (loosely) and let it sit for 3 to 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and spaghetti is al dente but not mushy.

Serve dolloped with ricotta, if using, and sprinkled with thinly sliced basil and more Parmesan if you like.

My kids are back in school! I can get back to sharing dishes that we enjoyed this summer (and probably last spring as well). I have quite a few to share. 🙂

This is a fabulous, restaurant-indulgent, late summer pasta dish. The real beauty of it is that it could be made in any season to bring back the taste of summer. It was also quick and easy to prepare- the best combination. The cheese adds creaminess to the finished dish but can easily be omitted for a vegan version.

This recipe was adapted from Bringing it Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating by Gail Simmons with Mindy Fox. I used grape instead of cherry tomatoes, bucatini instead of spaghettini, and modified the proportions. I am definitely going to make this dish year round. Great.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

1 pound bucatini, spaghettini, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta

Kosher salt

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for serving

1 small red onion or 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced, about 1 cup

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 pounds (about 3 pints) grape or cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 cups loosely packed torn basil leaves, plus more for garnish

2-4 T finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

3/4 cup (6 oz) fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

coarsely ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. (Simmons recommends 2 T of kosher or fine sea salt in 4 quarts of water.)

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet or wide, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the red pepper flakes, then stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst, 6 to 8 minutes.

Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain the pasta.

Add the pasta, along with the reserved pasta cooking water, to the pan with the sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the pasta is coated, about 30 seconds, then stir in the basil and parsley.

Divide the pasta among serving plates. Dollop with the ricotta and sprinkle with Parmesan and black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired, and serve immediately.

I was immediately drawn to the photo of this dish when I first spotted it in Bon Appétit magazine because it looked incredibly saucy. Maybe my expectations were too high regarding the amount of sauce, but next time I may even make 1.5 times the amount. It’s all about the sauce! 🙂

This classic marinara sauce was described as “the little black dress of Italian-American cooking.” This version, as well as the stuffed shells recipe, is from Palizzi Social Club in Philadelphia, PA, via Bon Appétit. The magazine rated it one of the Best New Restaurants in America in 2017 (#4). Quite an endorsement!

Note: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.

To Complete the Dish:

12 ounces jumbo pasta shells

coarse salt

2 large egg yolks

1 large egg

2 cups whole-milk fresh ricotta

3 ounces Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated, divided

freshly ground black pepper

3 cups Classic Marinara Sauce, recipe above, divided

dried oregano and olive oil, for serving, as desired

Preheat oven to 375°, preferably on convection.

Cook shells in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente; drain. (I cooked mine for 9 minutes.) Run under cold water to stop the cooking and drain again. Place noodles on a rimmed baking sheet.

Lightly whisk egg yolks and egg in a large bowl.

Stir in ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, and 1½ cups mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.

Transfer filling to a large resealable plastic bag.

Spread 1½ cups marinara sauce in a 13×9″ baking dish.

Snip off 1 end of plastic bag and, working one at a time, squeeze filling into shells. I returned them to the rimmed baking sheet to make sure the filling was evenly distributed before placing the shells into the baking dish.

Arranging the filled shells in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.

I have a few broccoli pasta recipes to share. I’m always buying the 3 pound bag of broccoli florets at Costco when I’m on a break from my CSA vegetables. 😉

This first dish is one of the Most Popular Recipes of 2017 from New York Times Cooking. I’m surprised that I didn’t see it when it was first published- especially because it’s a sheet pan dish! Although it has the ingredients typical of a pasta casserole, more of the broccoli and toppings get crispy by the increased surface area exposed to direct heat by cooking it on a sheet pan.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I increased the amount of broccoli and used Gigli pasta. We ate it with a huge green salad. Quick, easy, and tasty. It would be even more incredible if it was topped with fresh ricotta. Next time!

This is a cheesy and delicious vegetarian comfort food dish. The pie was inspired by roadside diner spaghetti sandwiches in New Zealand! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Gail Simmons. I increased the amount of garlic and spinach and modified the baking time for a convection oven. I used a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms. Wonderful.

Preheat the oven to 425°, preferably on convection. Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil and brush the inside with butter or spray with cooking oil.

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until barely al dente; drain.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until sizzling, about 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Incorporate all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Eggplant Rollatini is my absolute favorite dish to order when we go to Little Italy in the Bronx. Our family tradition is to go to the same restaurant each time we visit, Dominick’s, for delicious family-style Italian food. This dish is only served on Sundays- and only while it lasts. I’ve been disappointed on a couple of occasions when it has run out before we have been able to get in our order.

Making this dish was a fabulous way to use my gorgeous CSA eggplant! This recipe was adapted from Mad Hungry Family: 120 Essential Recipes to Feed the Whole Crew by Lucinda Scala Quinn. I didn’t peel the eggplants, reduced the amount of prosciutto, and increased the casserole baking time. The prosciutto can easily be omitted to make a vegetarian version. Wonderful.

For the Simple Tomato Sauce:

2 T olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

one 28-ounce can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, cut with a knife or kitchen shears